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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29377371">X-Men: Brotherhoods</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisterE05/pseuds/MisterE05'>MisterE05</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Marvel Nudiverse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel, X-Men - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Before the Brotherhood of Mutants were a thing, Before the X-Men were a thing, Before the Xavier School was a thing, Bromance, Brotherhood of Mutants (X-Men), Categories May Change, Characters May Change, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Male Friendship, Multi, My First Fanfic, Nudism, Nudist Mutants, Nudity, Oh my god so many tags, Rating May Change, Relationships May Change, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, Warnings May Change, X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants are good guys in this, casual nudity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:54:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,916</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29377371</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisterE05/pseuds/MisterE05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Before they were enemies, Charles Xavier and Erik Magnus were brothers. They lived together in the same apartment, fought together in the same war… and now taught together the next generation of mutantkind. The bonds of brotherhood can be strong… but they can also be fragile.<br/>Contains nudism and casual nudity throughout.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Erik Lehnsherr &amp; Charles Xavier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Marvel Nudiverse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2191521</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Change</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Minor content warning in the opening paragraphs for mild references to hate speech.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Mutants. They are the enemy of our kind..." Those were the opening words of a presentation courtesy of the so-called 'Friends of Humanity'. They were really more of a cult-like far-right terrorist group, complete with chaotic Anti-Mutant rallies, assaults on innocent civilians, framing innocent humans as dangerous mutants, and even an alleged murder. Even if the public eye had a very poor opinion of mutants, it was a surprise to anyone sensible that they were allowed anywhere in the New York metropolitan area. </p><p>"They are wicked, vile creatures. Deviants. Abominations. Shall I say… demons. Take a look at this picture here." The image on the screen behind the speaker, who was a short, balding man with messy white hair and a beard of the same nature, changed to a rather brutal art piece of a blue skinned woman with neon red hair, fierce yellow eyes, and not a stitch on her skin. "Does this look like one of us? Does that look like me? Does that look like any of you?" He laughed heartily. "The answer is no!" </p><p>The picture changed again to another vulgar display, this time an Egyptian hieroglyph crudely showing a shadowy demon sexually assaulting a woman and then bearing a blue-skinned baby boy similar to the woman from the previous slide. "As you can see, these… these demons… have muddied our gene pool for as long as we humans could draw." </p><p>The slide changed again. </p><p>"See, there's a demon." </p><p>And again. </p><p>"Demon." </p><p>Again. </p><p> "Demon. Demon. Demon. Demon, demon demon, demon demon, demon! All of them! Every single one of them demons! They are dangerous and wicked demons! Spawn of Satan himself!"</p><p>"Question." Before the speaker could continue on his tirade, a man in the back of the audience raised his hand.</p><p>The presenter turned and looked at the man. Despite the fact that he appeared to be in his late thirties, just at the edge of his physical prime, he was bald and wearing a tight black suit with a short blue tie. "And just what is your name, mister…?"</p><p>"Professor, sir. Charles Xavier. I would like to ask… just what if these mutants aren't as bad as you say?"</p><p>"Really? What makes you ask that?"</p><p>"Well…"</p><p>The man next to Charles buried his face into his hands. "Oh no… not another one of these." He groaned just barely too loudly. As a contrast to the man sitting next to him, he had an unruly mane of light colored hair and wore a maroon-colored trenchcoat with matching slacks. This fellow was named Erik Magnus, a close associate, if sometimes a regretful one, of Charles Xavier.</p><p>"You aren't a… sympathizer, are you?" The presenter sneered from the podium.</p><p>"No… it's just… I've met some of them… and they're not… exactly… like demons?" Charles struggled to keep face among this now deathly silent crowd. Sweat rolled down his forehead and he felt eyes from everywhere in the room drill into his skull. If they knew… well, that was not important. What was important was that he got his point across.</p><p>"No further questions until the end, please." He grimaced and went back to his sermon on why mutants were the spawn of the devil.</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>'Charles. You can't keep doing this.' </i>
</p><p>Those words rang inside of his head. Only instead of his own voice, he heard his best friend's. Charles was a mutant whose power, just one of his many, was to read minds. </p><p>
  <i>'Augh… I was so close that time… I know I can change their minds, Erik.'</i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p> <i>'I mean you can't keep doing this to yourself. Every time you stand up in front of a crowd, you fall apart faster than our goddamn apartment. Especially in a situation like this.'</i></p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>'Erik, you know how much this means to me.'</i>
</p><p>Erik sighed.<i> 'Yes. I do. But I just… I hate seeing you in such a wreck…'</i></p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>Charles set his hand on top of Erik's, the warm, callused hands of Magnus contrasting the cool and baby smooth digits of Xavier. </p><p><i>'I'll be alright. I've… I've gotten what I needed from this.'</i> </p><p>The two of them looked into each other's eyes knowingly and then turned their heads to face the front of the room, saying nothing more.</p><p> </p><p>After another seemingly endless hour of rambling from the demagogue, the pair were finally able to leave the stuffy auditorium. Erik was just left wondering how much of that hot air spewed from the mouth of that horrible orator. They both power walked through the building until they reached the doors. They then proceeded to push the doors open and walked straight on home. </p><p>From the outside, their apartment building was… dilapidated to say the least. It was one of the only apartments in the city that openly served mutant tenants, so it most likely wasn't going to be prime real estate. Charles and Erik, like almost every other mutant, have been disowned from their rather high-class families, without any prospect of coming back. Meanwhile they were working as associate professors in a community college. If they were normal men, they most likely would be full-time professors and could afford to own their own homes at their age. But they were not normal men. Although very few people knew their secret, almost everyone who didn't know seemed to give them strange looks. Their powers didn't affect their appearances too much, minus Charles' premature baldness, so the two of them chalked it up to humans having some sort of 'mutant detector'.</p><p>The second they stepped inside and the door shut behind them, the two of them opened up a plastic bag that each of them had in their pockets, and then tossed off every article of clothing they had before placing them in their bags. That was a particular quirk of mutant nature: besides their powers, everyone who carried the 'X-gene' carried at least some level of intolerance to clothing, usually resulting in mutants becoming nudists once they develop their powers. Charles and Erik were obviously no exception to this, now standing shoulder to bare shoulder. Charles' body was just as bald and smooth as his head, thin with only slight muscling. Erik, however, had many more signs of physical hardship over his life. His body was covered in a thin layer of hair set on top of a much thicker layer of scars and calluses, muscles toned from years of physical training and hard labor. If one knew he was a mutant, than they would guess he knew a bit too much about close calls. </p><p>Since he was out of sight from the outside world, Erik opened up his hand, causing the apartment key inside his pocket to fly into his hand. Erik's mutant power was to control the force of magnetism, and therefore control metallic objects from the size of an iron atom to quite possibly a large office building, if not much more than that. Charles was thankful that Erik was smart enough to use his powers for good, and didn't think of what he could do if he was in a particularly bad mood. After all, Charles liked to actually sleep during the night.</p><p>Before long, Erik thought something was up. There was usually a lot more chatter between them when they were going from place to place. "Charles, you haven't said a word the entire walk here. Is something the matter?" Erik inquired to his colleague.</p><p>Charles sighed and looked downward, shaking his head. "Have you heard the news? About that poor girl?"</p><p>Erik was fuzzy on the details. "The mutant from Caldecott County? Her name was… Anne Marie, correct?"</p><p>"Anna Marie White, Erik. She lost everything just because she was outed as a mutant in a fight."</p><p>The moment he heard 'lost everything', Erik knew the same thing happened to hundreds, if not thousands, of mutants happened to poor Anna Marie. "Expelled from the best school in Mississippi, disowned by her parents, and thrown in state prison. A case that if I'd never heard it again, it'd be too soon."</p><p>"Agreed." Charles looked around the room, populated with mutants of every color, age, gender and power, all nude from head to toe and free to be themselves, showing off their abilities confidently and without judgment from others. "You know, not everyone is as lucky as us. To have a place to call home as a mutant."</p><p>"This speech again…," Erik snarked and rolled his eyes. He wasn't a telepath like Charles was, but he knew his best friend like an open book. After talking of all that negativity, the smile returned to both of their faces, reminiscing about their old dream that they had since they met as younger boys.</p><p>"Erik… you know my dream. To open my own school where we can teach mutants how to be more than what the public sees them as. To teach them how to control their powers rather than contain them, and to teach humans to not be afraid of their mutant brothers and sisters. And in time, I hope that humans and mutants can coexist in peace thanks to our work. You should know because it's your dream too."</p><p>Erik chuckled and smirked. "Well, that was definitely one of your better articulated speeches. Certainly better spoken than that man at the podium. Remind me why we paid to attend that?"</p><p>"Because… because I thought I could change a simple mind easier than a stronger one. Besides, that man looked more demonic than any mutant I've met."</p><p>The pair laughed together at Charles' joke. "Come. Let's head back to our rooms."</p><p>"You take the lead. You're the one with the room key." The two of them headed up the stairs until they reached their floor's mailbox. Erik unlocked his mailbox and extracted a large, messy pile of envelopes from the box.</p><p>Soon they both reached the door to the apartment. Once Erik opened the door, the telepath flopped onto his bed while the magnetic mutant sat at the apartment's desk. The apartment was rather modest, and was kept in much better condition than the rest of the complex. It looked almost like someone ripped a chunk of another apartment and placed it into this one.</p><p>Erik rifled through the letters and sorted them into piles on the desk one by one. "Junk mail, junk mail, bill, bill, magazine, bill, wrong address…" </p><p>One letter in particular, addressed to Charles, caught Erik's attention. The magnetic mutant's eyes widened in shock to the size of dinner plates as he just simply glanced over the contents of the letter. "Holy… Charles, you might want to read this sitting down..."</p><p>"What? What is it?" Charles jumped off the bed, ran up to Erik, and opened up the letter fully. After looking it over, he read the contents of the letter out loud for his friend to hear.</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>'Prof. Charles Xavier,<br/>
As his appointed personal representative and executor of his will, I regret to inform you that, as of June 10, your stepfather, Kurt Marko, has passed away at age 73 due to complications from brain cancer. He was a kind and caring man, with a love for the unique, especially seeing it in his children. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.<br/>
I am also to inform you that as the only descendant living and accounted for, you are the sole heir to and recipient of the Marko-Xavier estate and all of its property, including the approximately $30,000,000 (thirty million) US Dollars and the 76,654 (seventy-six-thousand-six-hundred-and-fifty-four) -square-foot mansion under the Xavier name.<br/>
Once again, it is my deepest regret that Kurt passed away. He was a dear friend of mine, and I know he cared for you deeply. I sincerely hope you can make the best of this situation with your father's grand estate. If you have any further questions or comments, contact at the return address.<br/>
Best wishes,<br/>
Amahl Farouk'</i> </p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p> </p><p>Charles just sat in his chair, frozen, with the letter in his hands and jaw hanging wide open. </p><p>"Charles… do you know what that means?"</p><p>"I… we…" The telepath was at a loss for words.</p><p>"We can make our dream, your dream, come true, Charles! Imagine just what we can do with those kinds of resources! Thirty million dollars and a gigantic mansion! We can-"</p><p>"Erik." Charles interrupted sternly. "I need… I need time to process this…" </p><p>He understood immediately. "Oh. Well… I'm sure this must be… difficult for you. You can talk to me once you're done thinking this through." Erik stood up, walking to his bed. He reached out with his hand and attracted one of his favorite books, an old mystery novel that he used a metal bookmark to keep his place. He laid down onto his firm bed and started reading.</p><p>Charles did much of the same as Erik. Only, instead of using a book to escape, there were only his thoughts and nothing else. From the outside, it looked like he was staring blankly at the ceiling, but the picture inside his head was much more complex.</p><p>In his mind's eye, memories were flying at him rapidly, as if he was standing in the middle of a highway and he was invisible to the passing cars. The day he learned of his biological father's passing before he was born, the day he met his stepbrother Cain, the day he met Erik, the day the three of them signed into the army… the day his mother lost her life in a car crash…  it was all coming back to him at once.</p><p>Slowly, tears streaked down Charles' smooth face. His deep brown eyes became reddened with those tears. All Erik was able to do was listen. </p><p>Charles could not speak. He could not speak to his best friend, or to anyone else. His vocal cords were too busy crying to form truly comprehensible words. So he stuck with what he knew best: thinking.<i> 'Erik…' </i></p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>'Yes… Charles?'</i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>'Tomorrow… let's call in to take some time off from work… and then… I think we should take a trip upstate.'</i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p><i>'That would be lovely.'</i> Erik peeked from his book at his friend. A weak smile was slowly starting to reach the telepath's stressed, tear-stricken face. And slowly it reached his own.</p><p>Charles wiped away his tears and drifted to sleep.</p><p>Tomorrow would be a brand new day. For Charles, for Erik, and, hopefully, for mutantkind.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Wow... I actually wrote this! This is the very first full fanfic chapter I've ever written!<br/>Special thanks to the amazing DrowsyAthena, who gave me plenty of feedback on this chapter! Go check her out, please!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Beginnings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Erik was the first to wake up. He opened his eyes and saw that his book was still lying open on his chest. He chuckled, knowing that wasn't nearly the first time something like that happened. No wonder his chest felt a bit heavy while he was sleeping.</p><p>Meanwhile, Charles was still in a deep sleep, which Erik figured out thanks to his quiet and calming snoring. Calming enough to make Erik almost fall asleep once again in his bed. But even if it was calming, the pair had plenty to do today.</p><p>Starting with Erik making a very important call.</p><p>He reached out and his phone flew directly into his hand. He turned it on and scrolled through his contacts, eventually reaching the head office of Lieberville Community College.</p><p>He tapped the contact he needed, and the phone started ringing. Rather loudly. A bit too loud for Charles to keep his sleep. Both Charles and Erik cringed at the volume.</p><p>Soon the ringing stopped. "Hello? Is this the head office?" Erik placed the phone to his ear. Charles could not hear what was on the other end of the phone. He could only hear Erik tell the secretary about what's happening. "I see… I'm Professor Magnus, and Professor Xavier is with me. Well… he lost someone very dear to him, and he needs to take some time off."</p><p>There was a short pause.</p><p>"Oh… well, I live with him. And I can't in good conscience leave him to mourn by himself. So I request permission to take some time off as well, to comfort Professor Xavier."</p><p>Another quick pause.</p><p>"Yes. Mhm. Thank you, madam. Goodbye for now."</p><p>Erik hung up and turned to see Charles. He was laying underneath the covers and placed a pillow on top of his face to drown out the ringing from the phone earlier. "Charles, why did that have to be so loud?!"</p><p>Erik chuckled sheepishly. "I guess I forgot to turn it on vibrate mode."</p><p>Charles sighed and gave a slight laugh before dozing off once again. "Wake me up before… before breakfast…"</p><p>The only sound that then filled the room was Charles' snoring and the turning of pages of Erik's novel.</p><p>Erik furrowed his brows at the direction the story was taking. The author was trying so hard to make the butler look like the killer when anyone who had reading eyes obviously figured out that it was really the lawyer the whole time.</p><p> </p><p>Soon enough, Charles woke up fully on his own. He threw off his blanket and jumped out of bed. He dreaded having to get dressed for breakfast. If he and Erik could go around New York as they were, naked and liberated from the world's judgement, free to use their powers without being hunted by a violent mob, he absolutely would. But for now, he had to take care of the least favorite part of his daily routine.</p><p>He walked to the closet and picked out some rather casual, comfortable clothing, which were a pair of dark sweatpants and a tan sweater over a nondescript shirt and pair of underwear. He put on a pair of white socks and dark shoes to complete the look. He took a look at himself in the mirror, and, as much as he hated having to put on clothes, he did think that he looked good. The outfit fit him well and went well with his eyes, which were really the only thing he could match his clothes to.</p><p>"Dressed already, Charles?" Erik called out from the other side of the room, still nude and picking out his clothes. He appeared to choose an outfit very similar to yesterday's, still a pair of slacks with a matching coat. But today, instead of a maroon color, he chose a dark gray version of the outfit. Today just seemed like a 'muted colors' kind of day.</p><p>"Well, as much as I'd rather go nude, I'm still very excited to try out that new breakfast place. Remind me what it was called?"</p><p>"I believe it's called 'The Blend'. From what I heard, the pancakes are lovely."</p><p>Now Erik was in the process of getting dressed. While Charles thought his own outfit looked good on him, Erik looked absolutely stylish. The dark color of his outfit matched his hair and made his piercing blue eyes pop even more.</p><p>They both grabbed their phones and plastic bags to place their clothes in. Erik grabbed two keys that were on the nightstand, and they were now ready to leave for The Blend. They left the room before Erik made sure to lock the door. </p><p>The pair of mutants walked down the stairs until they reached the first floor. The lobby wasn’t as crowded as before, and several more mutants were clothed rather than nude, with much less confidence at that. Several were itching to get out of them, while others just hung their heads in shame of having to conform to human standards.</p><p>While there was some chatter between mutants, the morning’s news was the dominant sound that filled the room. “Our top story, last night the Anti-Mutant organization ‘Friends of Humanity’ was seen inciting a riot at Mississippi State Penitentiary, where a young suspected mutant named Anna Marie is being held..."</p><p>"'Friends of Humanity'. That name is such a load." One mutant mocked and threw a paper cup at a tv screen, narrowly missing Charles' head on the way there. </p><p>Charles turned on his phone and typed into a virtual notebook. Erik took a peek over his shoulder and noticed that the list was filled with suspected mutants from all over the United States, and even quite a few abroad. <em> 'Maybe that could be something worth talking about </em>,' Erik thought to himself, momentarily forgetting his friend's mind reading capability.</p><p>The telepath smiled as he listened to Erik. He was actually looking forward to discussing this particular collection of names with him. </p><p>The Blend was only a short walk away from the apartment complex, made even shorter by whatever crosswalks they got to suddenly turning green whenever Erik was nearby. Just because he had control of his powers doesn't mean that he wouldn't use them for convenience, so long as it looked like a coincidence or a regular glitch to the outsider.</p><p>From the outside, The Blend was a rather traditional looking restaurant. The outside wall was brick-and-mortar, with the name of the restaurant written in white cursive next to a logo of a steaming coffee cup tilted slightly to one side.</p><p>The two walked together through the doors. The air was filled with the sounds and smells of brewing coffee, sizzling bacon and sweet pancake batter. It was a simple looking establishment that had an open kitchen and an assortment of tables seated to benches and chairs. Old blues music from the 60's and 70's was playing through the speakers.</p><p>Not long after they sat down in the waiting area, a woman in the waitresses uniform walked up to them. "Hi, welcome to The Blend! Table for two?" She had a youthful smile, a skip in her step, and an infectious tone in her voice.</p><p>Charles and Erik looked at each other in the eyes. He didn't have to be a mind reader to tell that Erik was put off by the young woman's exuberance, with the awkward smile he and Charles shared with one another. "Yes, please." </p><p>"Wonderful! There's a table right over here! Follow me!" She waved her hand for the two to follow her. She walked to a small, rectangular table with one chair on each of its short ends.</p><p>The pair sat down in their chairs and the waitress left. For a moment, awkwardness filled the air between them. But after a couple of seconds, Erik made the first move. "Talk about 'service with a smile', hmm?"</p><p>Charles chuckled. "So at least I'm not the only one who felt off near her? I mean, I have goosebumps!" He felt his hand across his now bumpy skin."</p><p>"I bet she has some sort of interesting story. Maybe she had plastic surgery so she couldn't not smile?"</p><p>The two of them laughed out loud.</p><p>Charles opened up his menu, and the specials immediately caught his eye. "Hey, look at these menu items here, in the specials. 'Fried Chicken &amp; Egg Sandwich.' 'Egg &amp; Sausage Stuffed Waffles.' 'The Leaning Tower of... Pancakes?'"</p><p>"Hold on, did you say Leaning Tower of Pancakes?"</p><p>"Yes. I did."</p><p>"Is that even possible? I'd bet you'd have to hold that up with your mind, Charles."</p><p>"Erik… people might notice…"</p><p>"Not if you do it just right."</p><p>"Well, I guess the only way to find out is to try it, right?"</p><p>The jubilant waitress arrived with glasses of water for each of them. "Sorry! I've gotten a little busy here! Here's your water! Now, have you two figured out what you want?"</p><p>"Er, yes. A Leaning Tower of Pancakes to split between us."</p><p>"Lovely. Anything else?"</p><p>"I would like to try the Egg &amp; Sausage Stuffed Waffles."</p><p>"I'll just have some Classic Bacon &amp; Eggs, please."</p><p>"That sounds awesome!" She smiled, returning the goosebumps to the pair's skin, and walked off to the kitchen.</p><p> </p><p>"So… Charles… I saw you writing something earlier. Is there something you would like to show me?"</p><p>"Took you long enough to ask." Charles showed Erik his phone screen, still on the virtual notebook he had typed into. There were dozens and dozens of names in the notebook, all names of suspected mutants and their last sighted location. </p><p>"Woah…" Erik was impressed, to say the least. So many questions were running through his head. How many names are in here? How long has he been working on this? How did he get all this together? He decided to take the questions one at a time. "I take it this is some sort of recruiting list? For our plan?"</p><p>"Wasn't it obvious? Anna Marie White is only the latest to be sighted. See, here. Scott Summers, Resides in Portland, Oregon. Robert Drake, San Francisco, California. Henry McCoy, Springfield, Illinois. Emily Frost-"</p><p>"Alright! I get it… Now… how did you get all this information?"</p><p>"Well, it wasn't easy. I joined a website called MutantWatch under a pseudonym and matched the names there with local, national and - in some cases - international news. I've spent about two years putting this together. Some of these names might be outdated or even fabricated, but I've gotten some of the most credible ones. I've even gotten some from other countries, from Canada and England all the way to Russia and Sokovia."</p><p>"Wow… that is… definitely impressive." Erik chuckled, but in a slow, awkward way that made Charles feel like he overwhelmed his best friend.</p><p>"Is it too much?" Charles tilted his head, emanating a slight sense of worry.</p><p>"No, no, no no no no no no! It's all great! I just… I don't know what to say, that's all." </p><p>"Say no more. Maybe I should- " Before Charles could finish his sentence, their shared gaze was separated by a towering stack of pancakes. 'Leaning Tower' couldn't be more apt to describe it. There had to have been at least a dozen pancakes in the stack, possibly two dozen for how tall it looked. And for that many pancakes in one stack, it was surprisingly well-balanced, having only a slight tilt to one side. Each pancake looked to be about an inch thick, deliciously fluffy and quite possibly soft to the touch. The highest pancake was topped off with a crown of cream butter that lead to several waterfalls of syrup. It was practically a piece of food art or something from a cartoon, but here it was, sitting in front of both of them. </p><p>Each of them soon had their other items placed in front of them. Charles' Stuffed Waffles were thick and fluffy, almost as much so as one individual pancake. When cut open, tiny bits of dark-colored sausage spilled out along with the eggs, which in this case were thoroughly scrambled and shining yellow. Meanwhile Erik's Classic Bacon &amp; Eggs were a well-arranged plate of two sunny side up eggs set next to strips of still sizzling bacon, a perfect-looking version of the classic breakfast food.</p><p>The two of them each took pancakes from the top and placed them on their plates. Soon, they started to eat their meals. In terms of how they tasted… there were no words. This was one of the best meals they've had in years! Each taste was amazing on its own, but when blended together, it was a symphony orchestra of flavor! If Charles and Erik weren't as controlled as they were, they might have lost control of their powers right then and there. </p><p>Then again, if this would've been their last meal, neither mutant would complain.</p><p> </p><p>With full stomachs and the check fully paid, they took another walk together. This time it was to a nearby parking garage where they roamed looking for their car. Erik took a key from his pocket and pressed the 'unlock' button, causing a chirp to echo across the garage. The two walked to the other side of the garage where the chirp emanated from. It was a sleek, chrome-colored convertible sedan that the two had bought used. It was under Erik's name, and he took good care of it. At least, better care than the last person who owned it. There were a couple of scratches and dents throughout, but those didn't seem to ruin the look.</p><p>Charles took out his phone and opened up its GPS app, then proceeding to type in the address of his old home.</p><p>"After all these years, you still remember the address of your old house?"</p><p>"Says the man who remembers the middle name of everyone he ever loved?"</p><p>Erik scowled. "That's a low blow. You know that I'm driving, right?"</p><p>"Alright, I'll shut up!" Charles laughed as his best friend started the car, which released a smooth purr as the engine was running. Erik set the car to reverse and backed it out of the slot before maneuvering it through the maze-like garage. Once Erik stylishly drove it out of the garage, the two of them were out on the open road, with few other cars in sight.</p><p>Charles took out his phone and opened up its GPS app, then proceeding to type in the address of his old home.</p><p>"After all these years, you still remember the address of your old house?"</p><p>"Says the man who remembers the middle name of everyone he ever loved?"</p><p>Erik scowled. "That's a low blow. You know that I'm driving, right?"</p><p>"Alright, I'll shut up!" Charles laughed as his best friend started the car, which released a smooth purr as the engine was running. Erik set the car to reverse and backed it out of the slot before maneuvering it through the maze-like garage. Once Erik stylishly drove it out of the garage, the two of them were out on the open road, with few other cars in sight.</p><p>They soon found themselves driving on the highway, surrounded by the high-rise buildings that populated New York just like its people, all in every color, shape and size. The roads that split off from the exits looked like a spider's web from a bird's eye view, with cars driving along like scuttling insects.</p><p>The highway, and the weaving web of roads around it, soon melted into an old paved road surrounded by a forest filled with green-covered trees. At this point Erik had the convertible top of the car pulled down to admire the beauty above them. The topmost branches of the trees seemed to tie themselves to one another, creating a roof that only revealed scattered sunlight. Regarding the speed that they were driving at, the rays of the sun almost seemed like they were dancing. The small choruses of songbirds, the quick chatters of squirrels, the faint buzzing of insects, and countless other sounds built up into an incredible harmony of the forest featuring a backing of the rustling wind-blown leaves and the calm thrum of the car's engine acting as percussion. Even the smells were breathtaking, with the sweet smells of honey from beehives and the strong scent of pine filling the air. </p><p>In all of their almost forty years of life, Charles and Erik have hardly seen anything with beauty like this. Sure, they've seen beauty in the tallest mountains and the deepest canyons. But small beauty like this is just as irreplaceable as any natural monument.</p><p>Charles was as wide-eyed as any child just by taking in the beauty of nature. He whispered to his driving friend, just barely loud enough to be heard over the engine. "Oh my… Erik, you need to see this."</p><p>Erik slowed down the car. He was normally not the one to take in the beauty on road trips like this one, but the whole environment was dreamlike, almost hypnotic, in its artistic allure. Seeing all of this purity in the world loosened Erik up just a little bit. Before he knew it, his thoughts slipped out of his mouth. "You know, Charles… even if we didn't get a mansion and 30 million dollars, I bet you'd still be able to make our school a reality."</p><p>"No, Erik. You're just saying that."</p><p>"I'm serious. I don't know anyone else willing to go into enemy lines, online and in person, just to try and get people to change their minds about mutantkind, about us."</p><p>"You're still hung up on my stunt at the presentation? Well, maybe I'd like to see you loosen up a bit."</p><p>Erik frowned, his expression souring slightly. "Don't spoil my good mood just yet Charles."</p><p>"Yes, yes, I know you're still driving. I don't know how you could mess me up with all the metal in this car, and I don't want to find out. Maybe you could break my legs with the spring coils in the suspension."</p><p>The magnetic mutant rolled his eyes in response. Charles was left alone in his thoughts and admiring mother nature. Erik's eyes were only focused on the road and making sure that there was nothing to run over or crash into. There was a moment before, but now it was ruined.</p><p>Thinking of how to make Erik loosen up and return the lost moment, Charles' eyes almost seemed to glow with the spark of an idea. "Hold on, Erik. Pull over. I want to try something." </p><p>Erik pulled over, apprehensive to whatever Charles' idea may be. "Now, just what kind of mad idea do you have cooked up in there this time?"</p><p>"Take off your clothes."</p><p>"Excuse me?"</p><p>This time Charles spoke into Erik's mind. <em> 'Take. Off. Your. Clothes.' </em></p><p>"Charles…"</p><p>"Come on, it'll be fun! It's just us and the birds, Erik. No one will know but us!"</p><p>"Charles."</p><p>"Well, if you're not gonna do it with me, I'll just ride au naturel on my own." He started to take his clothes off and throw them underneath his seat.</p><p>"Charles!" Just as he was about fully undressed, the telepath was called by Erik. He turned his head and saw that his best friend had followed his lead. Once again, Erik was nude from top to bottom, with a smile marked on his face. "Let's have a fun little ride<span>."</span></p><p>
  <span>Erik revved the engine and the pair sped off, the car seeming to any outsider as nothing more than a silver-colored streak. The wind blew through their hair (or at least Erik's) and as they were driving they felt a healthy breeze down there between their legs. Even the air felt cleaner to breathe. Their hearts were rushing and their lungs were fully filled, their skin felt every mark of the wind, and they loved every second of it. They haven't felt an adrenaline rush like this since… well, they've forgotten how long. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Charles, I know I don't say this too much, but I'm glad that you thought of this."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The telepath had a satisfied smile and laid back in his seat. "Feeling better? Feeling loose? Feeling-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Erik interrupted with a smile on his face. "Yes. Yes to all of those. You need to stop being so repetitive." He chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Doesn't get better than this, huh Charles?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, Erik. No, it doesn't. And for every single mutant we welcome into our halls, every day will be just like this." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And they'll all be free. Free from human standards, human expectations, free to be themselves, as they exist in the moment. The past is the past, and the future is the future. Now… we just live."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, maybe you could teach philosophy, Erik!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Erik laughed once again. "Unlike you, Charles… I can't do the grand speeches on command."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Soon after their liberating 'nature drive', they once again took a small detour. This time, it was to put their clothes back on so they could be presentable in case there were any guests.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mostly in case there was one particular guest, one that they needed to make a great first impression with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nervous?" Erik asked Charles, who seemed to hold onto the sides of his seat with a tense grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"A little. I'd hate to make a poor impression."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Relax. You'll know what to say, Charles. You always do. And if all else fails, poke around inside his head to look for something to talk about."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Erik drove back down the road all the way until they reached the Marko-Xavier estate. Once they got there, both of the mutants were in awe. Erik was amazed at the sheer size of the estate while Charles was surprised at how well maintained the mansion looked. It was a majestically large mansion built with a mix between dark wood and brick of a similar deep tan color. The wood was engraved with a variety of artistic decorations, making the outside pleasing to the eye. There was also a long, extensive driveway fit for parking dozens upon dozens of cars. And all that was just from the front view. The drive was empty at this moment, save for their car that they were in the process of parking and what appeared to be a black limousine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Erik parked close to the limo, and the two of them left their convertible. They looked around and saw a small crowd, some men and some women, all in dark-colored formal outfits like suits and skirts. One of them stuck out from the crowd, a slightly tall, tan-skinned man wearing thick glasses and rather thick stubble on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you think that's him?" Erik inquired to Charles about the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, yes. That's our guy." Charles walked closer to the man, with Erik following, and spoke to him. "Excuse me, sir."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tan-skinned man turned around and enthusiastically shook Charles' hand, with a smile on his face that soon faded. He spoke with a thick accent that the pair associated with Egypt and Western Asia during their travels. "Ah! You must be Charles Xavier! Amahl Farouk! I'm sure you saw my letter… well, once again, sorry for the loss..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Its alright, Mr. Farouk."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh please! Call me Amahl! Mr. Farouk was my father."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles introduced Amahl and Erik to one another. They shook each other's hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mhm! Now that all of the introductions are outta the way, let's get down to business." Amahl spoke with Charles and Erik about the less interesting business aspects of owning the Xavier-Marko estate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Charles may have looked as if he was spacing out, he actually was very carefully probing Amahl's mind. He looked through some memories, listened in on some thoughts, and even took a gander at his emotional state. All of these seemed a little erratic and Charles wondered whether or not he felt some interference of some sort, but nothing was particularly out of the ordinary. The life of a lawyer was certainly difficult, and these might have been a side effect of Amahl living such a life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hello there!" A feminine voice spoke from behind the pair, causing both of them to jump in fright. They turned and saw just who the voice came from. It was a young woman with long hair wearing a button-up top and a pencil skirt. Almost the same style as the uniform at The Blend, but the aesthetic changed from a family breakfast restaurant to a formal meeting. The young woman also had that same youth-filled smile as their waitress. It was almost as if they were the same one person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I swear… you look exactly like… you know what, never mind. It's not important."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Today, I'll be your acting tour guide to the Marko-Xavier estate!" The woman shook the hands of both of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Excuse me, ma'am, but I used to live here. I doubt I need a tour g-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How long has it been? 18 years since you moved out?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Er… yes… how did you…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Within the past 18 years, there have been major renovations and additions to the estate! And I'm here to show you each and every one of them! So sit back, relax, grab some snacks and enjoy the ride!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took a moment for Charles and Erik to process what exactly just happened. Even Amahl was a little shaken. But soon, he spoke up, catching the pair's attention. "Er… if I were the two of you, I'd follow her."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The duo - now trio, since they were accompanied by Amahl - followed the young woman into the doors of the mansion to begin their tour.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Welcome to the Xavier-Marko Estate! A seventy-six-thousand-six-hundred-and-fifty-four square foot piece of heaven on Earth!" The tour group was lead through the great wooden door into the main hall of the mansion. The room was grand in scale and in artistry, with similar carvings to the outside featured on the inside walls. Centuries old, Renaissance-style framed paintings also hung close to one another against the wall. It also seemed to split from one hall into several different ones, with staircases and paths each branching off into different wings of the mansion. As she explained the historical significance of each and every element, the woman's voice echoed and bounced off the distant ceiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They each traveled through the rooms one by one, going through secret hallways and looping passages. They met many of the staff that operated in the estate, and even saw a couple of them get into a short scuffle. They went through offices, study rooms, game rooms, and enough different bedrooms that Charles lost count of how many there were. At the moment he was counting 50.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tour was long and started to get on the group's nerves. Erik especially showed irritation, with his eyelid starting to visibly twitch. But they soldiered on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Erik, still showing some annoyance, spoke up from behind the acting tour guide. "Wow… this house is really something. So many different treasures…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman looked behind her and smiled at Erik. "Oh, trust me. The real treasure is down in the basement level! Speaking of which, follow me down to said basement!" She knocked on a door, which automatically opened to reveal another hidden room. However, this one contrasted the rest of the house, with a light chrome color highlighted with futuristic blue lights.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They entered the room, which turned out to be an elevator. Once Amahl, the last to enter, walked in, the door automatically shut behind them. With only one direction to go, they were soon taken to the basement level. That was strange, since they practically felt like there was zero movement of any sort, as if they closed a door and opened it up to another room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they finally left, the basement hallway very much matched up with said hidden elevator. While the top levels of the mansion were old and grand, this hall seemed cutting edge and high tech. There were several different doors, each with a chrome color that matched the plating on the walls and floor, and each with an 'X' emblazoned upon it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Now this is high class! I wish I knew about this!" Amahl laughed in amazement at the aesthetic of this basement, which almost seemed like a prototype government lab due to its advancement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Next on their tour, there was another chrome-colored metal door with the same 'X' built into it, set in between the tour group and the next room. "Watch this! Optical scanning!" She crouched down so her eye was at the center of the 'X'</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The speaker within the door spoke "Welcome…" before it released a rather garbled sound instead of a name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The leading woman chuckled. "We're...still working on the speaker issues." The door then suddenly opened with a whoosh, with the center of the 'X' turning, splitting the door in half. The two halves then pulled apart, revealing the next room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This next room had a metallic suspended path with a circular platform at the end of it, and the spherical room was covered wall-to-wall in bluish metal panels. "Welcome to Cerebro!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uhh, what's Cerebro, exactly?" Charles asked the tour guide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Cerebro is the world's first brain-interface supercomputer. It was a gift from one of the world's leaders in computer technology, the industrial magnate Sebastian Shaw." As the quartet walked to the end of the path and onto the platform, there was a pedestal that featured a bluish metal dome-shaped helmet that matched up with the aesthetic of the rest of the Cerebro room. She picked up the helmet, revealing that it was attached by wire to the pedestal. "Well? Any volunteers?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment of silence, Erik stepped forward. "Don't mind if I do." He stuck his hands out, and the woman gave him the helmet. He slowly lifted his arms until he was able to drop the helmet onto his head. The helmet, for being a big dome made of metal, was a surprisingly comfortable fit, and it looked rather slim on Erik's head, containing much of his light messy hair. And besides, if it didn't fit well, he could probably make some adjustments to solve that problem.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a short delay of a few seconds, a holographic three-dimensional screen appeared in the room, only appearing as a series of multicolored blobs against a black backdrop. "Alright, looks like it's on a screen saver. Now how do I use this thing?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Erik seemed to aimlessly fumble around with the computer. He already wasn't the best with technology, but a direct connection to his thoughts didn't help matters. All he could figure out to do consistently is to move the mouse cursor up, down, left and right, as well as forward and backward in the 3d space. Plus, the brain interface gave him a minor headache.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon, he said that it was enough for now, and took off the helmet. The tour group then left the Cerebro room and the door automatically shut behind them, taking a few turns into the hallway to lead into the next room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next room was very similar to the last in terms of its appearance and construction. However, instead of being spherical in shape and having a suspended walkway, the room was built in a much larger cubic shape, and the tour group was perfectly able to walk on the room's floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Tired of playing basketball in the backyard court? Want to see the world in a snap? Pay a visit to the Holographic Entertainment Center!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amahl was confused. "Holographic… entertainment center? Kurt never told me about this."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He must've been a very secretive fellow. I don't see how anyone could miss this." Erik commented to Amahl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, can you tell us how this works?" Amahl asked in response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their tour guide cheerfully instructed, "It's super simple! Just type in a location on this keyboard, like, for example, 'Tokyo', and…." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room suddenly started to change into a busy nighttime street, surrounded by buildings and multicolored neon signs written in Japanese Kanji. Hundreds of people crowded the street around them, and they all seemed to move around the group without any contact or attention paid to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Woah… this is incredible!" Charles smiled. Just at the touch of a keyboard, he could go anywhere he could imagine. And the simulation was in such perfect detail! He could see every single brick in the walls and every single mark left behind by the crowds. He could feel the cool nighttime air. He could smell the different foods being cooked at various places, and could almost taste ramen noodles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But that's not all! You can also use this to simulate outfits too!" She called out a special code-word (it was 'Lynchpin'), which caused the same keyboard to appear where she stood. She typed in a code and the outfits the four wore changed into traditional Japanese garb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, Erik was impressed. "Excellent! Anything else you can show us here?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, from what I'm told, the outer walls of this room are downright impenetrable! I guess that's why the staff calls it the 'Danger Room!' She typed in another code, and they were back to where they were, the Danger Room back to normal, and the tour group all in their original outfits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amahl had quite the smile on his face. "I doubt much could top that. But if there is anything that could… please show us.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled yet again. "Gladly!" Then, she walked out the door, which automatically opened and shut just like before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She led the trio again, but this time through several more turns in the hallway. Once she got to the destination, they were faced with a much larger door with three layers of scanning. The last door pulled back. "And now, the final point of our tour, the crown jewel of this collection of high-tech bliss…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Erik's jaw seemed to hang slack down to the floor, his eyes widening in child-like excitement. "Oh my God… is that an…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"An SR-77 Blackbird. Yes, it is. One of the only prototypes still in existence, Kurt Marko won it in an auction in 1993. According to the staff, it's still in mint condition! It's also an urban legend of sorts among the staff that Mr. Marko had hangar doors built under the basketball court in the case that this thing was actually ready for launch."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While she continued, Charles noticed Erik's amazement just looking at the jet. He thought to him, 'Oh, so now you're a big softie, Erik?'</span>
</p><p>
  <span>'What? I've always had a fondness for vehicles. Especially a work of art like this!'</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Blackbird was something that many would find difficult to describe. The easiest way to describe it was the fact that it looked like its SR-71 counterpart while it looked the size of a public airliner. It was truly stunning for anyone to witness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before long, all thoughts were interrupted. "... and that concludes our tour! Please follow me to the front of the building and feel free to ask any questions you have! Have a nice day!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Long after the sun had set, and Amahl and the strange woman said their good-byes to Charles and Erik, the duo was preparing for bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles was still admiring the nature of the mansion itself. "Wow… I can't believe it…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know..." Erik cracked a sarcastic smile. "For once we get to sleep in our own separate rooms!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes, that is quite something. But that's not the only thing. It's also that we have… well, all of this!" Charles extended his arms, gesturing to the entirety of the house. "Dozens upon dozens of rooms, not to mention a high-tech basement that can fill the roles of all of them twice over!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Erik nodded in agreement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles' jovial attitude soon fell to something closer to a frown. "It is a shame, though. How we got all of this because my stepfather died."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It is… unfortunate." Erik sighed, remembering his own difficulties with loss in his past. "I'm sure he lived a good life. He had a good staff to take care of him, and I'm certain Amahl was there for him in his final days."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Its what it seemed like to me when I peeked into his mind. His mind's a little erratic, but it's fairly typical. And there's nothing to show that he'd cause any trouble."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Here's hoping Amahl will be as good to us as he was to your stepfather." Charles and Erik cheered before only silence was in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles continued the conversation once again, with a spark of realization. "By the way, have you caught that woman's name? The one who gave us the tour?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, not a clue. What's her deal, anyway?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't know, but I guess that smile really is infectious or something."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles then had an idea, shown by his slightly widening eyes. "Hey, how long have we been here since the others left?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I assume at least eight hours."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And… we still have our clothes on?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Correct."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Perhaps we can remedy that?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took a few moments of Erik mocking consideration, but he eventually stated his agreement. "Oh, alright. Let's!" The two of them stripped down to nothing and lounged about, talking casually between one another about how they thought of their new home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles then remembered the staff of the mansion. What would they think of the owners going around naked, let alone a swarm of students with a very similar dress code?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Erik turned to see the pondering expression on his best friend's face. "Something bothering you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't know… it's the staff. What if they react poorly to us being like this?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You mean as mutants or as nudists?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mainly nudists, but the mutant part is important too."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Erik gave his psychic friend a deadpan look. "You know you can… influence them, right?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charles' concern popped like a bubble. "Ah… right… of course I can do that." The two laughed it off, and Charles concentrated on putting a subliminal message out into the mansion. This effort, combined with the fact that the sun set several hours ago, made Charles desire sleep more than too much else. He yawned out loud. "Ahh… I think I'm going to head off to bed."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course. It's been late, and we've got plenty of traveling to do for a while. Rest easy, my friend."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good night, Erik." Charles called to his friend as he stood and walked off to his room for bed. When he finally got there, he unceremoniously flopped on top of the king-size mattress, dozing off to sleep within minutes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The following morning, when Charles woke up, he was greeted with the sight of Erik standing in front of the door with a surprisingly bright smile on his face. Especially bright considering the fact that it was the only thing that he was still wearing, sharing his attire from the night before. "So! Who's first on that list of yours, Charles?"</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh boy, this one took forever to write. Sorry about that! Please enjoy, and keep an eye out for other fics of mine! I've got a lot of ideas I'm working on!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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